Home baker and cook guide
How to sell homemade food in Maryland
Maryland's cottage food pathway covers qualifying non-potentially-hazardous foods made in a residential kitchen and sold within Maryland under the current revenue limit. Start with the official program below, then confirm the rules for your product, preparation setting, and local jurisdiction.
Official resources last reviewed 2026-07-21. Rules can change.
Official Maryland resources
Open the official pages below for registration, labeling, allowed foods, and temperature rules. This app collects your application only. After approval, classify every meal when you publish.
What the official pathway currently emphasizes
- The state guidance allows direct sales from a residence, at markets or public events, by personal or mail delivery, and under additional conditions to a retail food store.
- Interstate sales are not allowed under the cottage food pathway.
- Products require the state-specified label information and some recipes or retail-store sales trigger additional documentation or review.
- Local event, market, zoning, and retail requirements can still apply.
A practical preparation sequence
- Confirm the food is allowed under the current MDH guidelines.
- Choose direct-to-consumer or qualifying retail-store sales and follow that section's requirements.
- Prepare labels and any required product-safety documentation.
- Check the local health department and venue rules before selling.
Questions to answer before listing
- Which foods may be produced in your proposed kitchen?
- Does the product require refrigeration or temperature control?
- Are registration, training, inspection, testing, or permits required?
- What must appear on the product label and customer disclosure?
- Where may you advertise, sell, deliver, ship, or arrange pickup?
- Do county, city, zoning, tax, or tribal rules add requirements?
Prepare your local kitchen page
Once you understand the applicable pathway, create a kitchen profile, describe your general pickup area, upload real food photos, and post specific preorder windows. Kitchen Counter-Measures does not approve a product on behalf of a regulator.